Isner moves on
First, mea culpa.
I told you I'd have an update on John Isner's results from the SAP Open yesterday and I failed to deliver. At least part of the blame falls on Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski, who kept me distracted with their latest public spat when I could have been blogging on Isner. So I'll apologize on their behalf as well. I'm sure they'd be fine with that.
Isner moved into the second round late on Monday night with a 7-6(5), 6-4 win over Florent Serra. That win moves Isner into the second-round where he'll meet the winner of No. 3 seed Tommy Haas and Robert Kendrick. Strangely, those two haven't played yet. Kendrick and Haas play in the second match of the evening session tonight. So, if I'm figuring this correctly, Isner played his first-round match on Monday and then will have to wait until Tuesday for his Round of 16 match. Weird.
Isner's schedule in doubles is a little more normal. He and his partner, Donald Young, won their first-round match yesterday over Mardy Fish and Jurgen Melzer, 6-4, 6-4. They will play the world's top doubles tandem, Bob and Mike Bryan this afternoon in the quarterfinals.
The pairing of Isner and Young is intriguing, to say the least, and a little unexpected. Isner had told me he planned to play with fellow Georgia alum Travis Parrott in San Jose. Isner and Parrott won the only tournament they played together in last year, a Challenger in Lexington, K.Y. Instead, Isner and Young are together. Young, 18, is considered by many to be the next big thing in American tennis, but didn't really start putting things together until the middle of last year. He's now just above Isner in the rankings. Young is an interesting pairing with Isner becuase his forte is foot speed, while Isner's - in case you've been living under a rock - is his big serve. I'll be curious to see if Isner and Young try to pair up in tournaments after this one. I'm sure the USTA would like that.
As for the singles, I'll post a match time for Isner as soon as the SAP Open announces it. I won't let you down this time. I promise.
UPDATE: Just checked the ATP doubles rankings. Isner's currently No. 228 in the world, having played doubles in just six tournaments so far. The 40 points he's picked up so far in San Jose will move up into the 190s.